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Ridgeline Defense RD-15 LPR
- Thread starter B4forever
- Start date
You might have to hold your breath. Only one in existence at the moment…and she’s mine.
I mean for the price point, just go full KAC gas system. All that just to step on your dick with a TDP-style tube.
Thanks for the design consolation doc, checks in the mail.
There’s good reason (even beyond patent infringement) why one might want to in corporate certain elements and avoid others. Only change I’d look back to make is a straight gas tube and that’s simply for convenience, not even performance.
Which is literally (pretty sure I am using that word correctly here) why I said there’s good reason “even beyond patent infringement”.Eh bubble flare with A/N fittings can’t be patented (can it? I’m not an IP lawyer) and they let the E3 patent expire a while ago
I don’t read good, but it’s not infringement if it’s expired.
Either way, the min/maxing of a flare fitting gas tube is kinda gamesmanship isn’t it? What's a KAC gas system cost in parts these days...probably $350ish for the block, castle nut, tube, and flare fittings.
That thing is so sexy! Ill be happy to be patient for it! Looking forward to getting my hands on one!
That build is sick!! (with optic, mount and bipod) it has to be pushing $6K but it's nasty.
I really like that upper/lower (wish it was full ambi bc Im lefty) and the arca rail
I really like that upper/lower (wish it was full ambi bc Im lefty) and the arca rail
Is the ARCA rail machined into the handguard or is it attached with M-LOK or some other type of fasteners ?
@Rudy Gonsior are there any updates to when these start shipping to customers? Or are you guys working through the wait list and those of us farther down just haven't received the email yet?
$3200 rifleThat build is sick!! (with optic, mount and bipod) it has to be pushing $6K but it's nasty.
I really like that upper/lower (wish it was full ambi bc Im lefty) and the arca rail
$1700 NX8
$600 CkyePod
$1100 RC2
$350 scope mount
$600 Acro
More like pushing $8K
I agree, the fdee looks really good
This version of the rail has integrated ARCA. There is a prototype rail that’s full M-LOK, so I won’t say it could never be an option (hard parts done but the integrated ARCA, this is the way.
The boys in shipping are working through the list (which was massive long) but I’d say we should be through by June.
If a guy got an email last week and paid for it when should he expect to receive it?
Since we're asking questions...how retah'ded would it be to buy one of these and immediately pull the barrel and put a 22ARC barrel on the rifle? 
I inquired about stripping it down to paint it FDE, I was advised against it. It sounds like they would prefer to do anything with barrel swaps in house.Since we're asking questions...how retah'ded would it be to buy one of these and immediately pull the barrel and put a 22ARC barrel on the rifle?
Ill get one when the FDE versions become available which will be later this year.
I honestly don’t know enough to say what that time line is like at the moment. I am sure there are growing pains as we scale up, so please be kind to Blake, besides managing the rifles they also manage shipping for our Outfitter warehouse.
My focus has been part QC, production and test fire. Once the rifles pass beyond into inspection and shipping, I shed a tear for each to bless them on their journey but I know not where they go, it’s easier that way.
Others have inquired, but let me answer for the group. Can it be done? Yes there are no proprietary tools needed but knowledge of induction heating would be required, along with corresponding skill sets. I don’t want to belittle anyone but successful disassembly is likely beyond your typical hobby AR builder…which is why it voids the warranty.Since we're asking questions...how retah'ded would it be to buy one of these and immediately pull the barrel and put a 22ARC barrel on the rifle?
So if you guys are confident go for it but for some it’s going to be biting off a bit too much.
Nice, very niche gun........looks well put together.
But not for everyone for sure, especially at that price point.
I really see no need for the GB system being used, as the deficiency of either the set screw or clamp version just doesn't justify the cost or the possible benefit.
Also, 1 MOA is really pretty ho-hum.........not that it's bad by any means, but easily exceeded by many builders here, regularly, but more or less equivalent to real life performance from KAC, at least on the 3 I have.
The receiver set looks great & would be nice if available at some point in time.
Also, that kind of weight in the barrel just really isn't necessary for 1 MOÀ, & if heat from any level of sustained fire is a consideration for using the heavier profile, then I'd prefer a CL barrel anyway, the best of which will still do 1MOA.
JMHO
MM
The wild card is the receiver set. If you price out all the usual suspects of components you'd be at about $1500.
$580 Proof barrel
$100 SLR gas block
$300 Premium nitrided BCG
$85 VLTOR buffer system and back end
$80 Normal Magpul furniture
$80 PRI M84 ch
$200 trigger
Add in a premium builders kit and your within $300 - $500 for a built gun.
ADM UIC $1000 but doesn't get the handguard off the barrel nut
Radian $1300 but doesn't get the handguard off the barrel nut
LMT MRP-L $1200 and you finally get the handguard off the barrel nut but then you have a silly short foreend and buy into $200 barrel conversions forever.
Seekins- unobtanium
What's hilarious about all this is the Aero Enhanced uppers provide a solution to the barrel nut issue for about $250 and they offer 16.6" fore ends for 18" barrels, but GD that fat handguard is ugly. If you want the same solution as the Aero the next option up is this as far as I can tell. But if barrel swaps can't be accomplished it would kill it for me. I'm just not that excited about a 16" .223 Wylde. That's definitely a purist mentality. You can watch their Instagram videos and tell they're working a niche mentality. And potentially insulating themselves from other perspectives and wants in the market. I could see all the Micah Mayfield LARP'ing bros buying into it but it's too limiting if it's only a $3200 16" .223.
$580 Proof barrel
$100 SLR gas block
$300 Premium nitrided BCG
$85 VLTOR buffer system and back end
$80 Normal Magpul furniture
$80 PRI M84 ch
$200 trigger
Add in a premium builders kit and your within $300 - $500 for a built gun.
ADM UIC $1000 but doesn't get the handguard off the barrel nut
Radian $1300 but doesn't get the handguard off the barrel nut
LMT MRP-L $1200 and you finally get the handguard off the barrel nut but then you have a silly short foreend and buy into $200 barrel conversions forever.
Seekins- unobtanium
What's hilarious about all this is the Aero Enhanced uppers provide a solution to the barrel nut issue for about $250 and they offer 16.6" fore ends for 18" barrels, but GD that fat handguard is ugly. If you want the same solution as the Aero the next option up is this as far as I can tell. But if barrel swaps can't be accomplished it would kill it for me. I'm just not that excited about a 16" .223 Wylde. That's definitely a purist mentality. You can watch their Instagram videos and tell they're working a niche mentality. And potentially insulating themselves from other perspectives and wants in the market. I could see all the Micah Mayfield LARP'ing bros buying into it but it's too limiting if it's only a $3200 16" .223.
HG not being on the barrel nut is a really nice to have, but surely not a deal maker or a deal maker, IMO.
Plenty of guns shoot just great with the HG on the nut.
The total package is really what matters.
Not being able to more or less easily disassemble the gun & doing so voiding the warranty is more significant than the HG issue.
Niche gun for niche buyers.
Easy pass for me.
MM
Yeah, I have had a mixed bag of success with that. I'm currently going round and round with a 22 ARC and I want a pretty long rail on it. I've got a full length Arca on the bottom and 1.5lbs in side weights. With a ckye pod the rifle weighs 18 lb. POI will vary greatly depending on shoulder pressure, cheek pressure or head weight, and grip. More so on this gun than any of my other AR-15s. I would agree with you for a standard 13 -in handguard on a 14.5' or 16" barrel. I have two 14.5" & 16" 223Wylde and they shoot Sub-MOA without any handguard theatrics.
Right now I'm looking for uppers that offer that
Yeah we are in a way insulating our selves from certain markets and there is some intention behind that. That may seem odd to draw a boundary but being as we’re just starting this part of our company that means we can’t be everything to everyone.
Our initial goal was a rifle designed and marketed to be implemented as a No-Fail, turn key solution to the modern SPR/Recce rifle.
This honestly isn’t the need of most of the people here on the Hide as baffling as that may seem. I think there is a misconception that SH is the conscious collective of all things precision shooting. Reality is it’s just an Internet forum, which while populated by an abundance of knowledgeable people is also incredibly niche in regards to the actual masses of shooters out in the physical world. So keep in perspective is that more likely than not this rifle may not be for you.
And I mean that in a kind way because I understand clearly there are aspects of the design that appeal to guys that see some of the benefits but maybe not others. A good example is all of traffic here about if/when stripped receivers are going to be available?
As the current situation stands we’re building guns at the rapid rate to keep up with the initial demand. Not a bad problem but remember our priorities is to provide a fully viable modern SPR/Recce, so only being a few months into this and receivers dedicated to the forementioned cause, those of you wanting to build might have to wait for the demand to drop.
Additionally as stated previously more chambering and barrel lengths are in the works for sure but again the demand for boutique chambering like 6/22A ARC, .224 VAL, 6 MAX, etc. just isn’t there. It’s like a 1/10 ratio to the demand of 5.56 at best (probably closer to 1/20) so obviously doesn’t make a huge amount of sense to tack that right out of the gate for us.
And let’s face it, these small frame wonder cartridges are not as simple as dropping in a new bolt/barrel. We’ve seen a TON of half-baked rifles from companies (don’t get me started on the home brews
) chambered 6 ARC in the last few year in classes. There’s a reason big companies like Geissele have spent a tremendous amount of money in attempting to achieve no nonsense performance of their rifles like the GRF.
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I would tend to disagree on the point of gas systems not be critical to accuracy. I honestly think it’s one of the most overlooked aspects of building accurate ARs. I would probably base it 3rd in my priorities right after having a quality barrel and tight receiver interface.
In regards to accuracy requirements, 1 MOA is the maximum threshold for our rifles to ship.
Here is the first 7 rifles I pulled off of the cleaning table this morning. Again 1 MOA is just the requirement, averages tend to trend quite a bit lower…
Additionally one needs to remember that these are barrels that haven’t been shot in yet. It’s not uncommon to see something like this were the after the first round or two (in the conduct of attaining a rough zero) down the pipe the barrel really starts to come into its own.
^this is a “0.897” rifle which meets the standard but I’ve shot enough of these to know it’s likely to settle into 0.5-0.6 after a good break in.
There’s not too many companies that provide that requirement, usually what you get is a “guarantee” for 1 MOA or whatever they claim.
This is unfair to the buyer in my opinion, especially if you are a professional shooter with the welfare of others dependent on performance. These “guarantees” place the impotence of performance on the shooter first, which is only fair IF the manufacturer had as proofed the rifle prior to. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen rifles that “guaranteed” to professional organizations (or private individuals) to perform at a stated level and simply don’t because of a defect that went unproofed. Usually this leads to a fun back and forth of emails/phone calls during which time that rifle is unavailable for use whether it is training or for deployment. It’s a waste of everyone’s time.
I think if you are going to guarantee something like accuracy you better proof it right out of the gate.
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77gr. FGMM has been statistically one of the most consistent performing .223/5.556 factory loads. Black Hills is a close second but it’s been a little more lot to lot these days.
I really like that extended length upper receiver, which is how I’ve felt the AR-15 upper should have been from the start.
LWRC has an extended length upper that blends with the handguard as well, but the RD-15 appears to provide something similar to the M16A1’s triangular handguard profile with the ARCA rail on the bottom. If you’ve ever placed an M16A1 on a bag, those triangular handguards just sit there squarely because the bottom is so large and flat, with a lot of surface to sit on the bag and the gun not roll over.
LWRC has an extended length upper that blends with the handguard as well, but the RD-15 appears to provide something similar to the M16A1’s triangular handguard profile with the ARCA rail on the bottom. If you’ve ever placed an M16A1 on a bag, those triangular handguards just sit there squarely because the bottom is so large and flat, with a lot of surface to sit on the bag and the gun not roll over.
Thanks for posting this. We don't have QP out west. I've heard of it but am unknowledgeable about the divisions. So is the RD LDR-15 made for GP division? I guess if you were hardcore into QP this gun would scratch your itch a lot more.
No it was not made for QP, it was made for murder. 
Edit: Lol, Due to the political sensitivity of the age we all live in, allow me to expand on that comment. The RD LPR is at its heart a purpose built fighting rifle. We specifically geared the LPR towards the professional end user (and freedom loving citizens) with a performance envelope that balances accuracy, precision and reliability. The design team was literally all MIL/LE end users who probably have higher body counts than your typical Tinder(Grinder) date these days. Bottom line is we’ve collectively seen a thing or two, so the LPR is a rifle for shooters, by shooters. Again this rifle is not invitation, it’s a revision and consolidation of good ideas. We’re just trying to get all the right stuff (for a combative scoped carbine) into one gun.
Which oddly enough being a practical rifle, it fits into QP General Purpose division fairly well.
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Cool. Snarky answer. After watching that dude's video I was thinking about flying out to a QP match this summer, did a little research on them. And then cunty attitude from Ridgeline Defense is kind of a turn off.
In fairness, your question was answered in post #83, and a 30 sec Google search would've led to:
No my response was not meant to be snarky, as it was not at all sarcastic, rude or impertinent. The response was humorous yes and perhaps too dark for taste but nonetheless relevant to addressing the misconception purposed.
I meant no offense, nor do I take any and I can appreciate the age old dictum that this simply put “isn’t for everyone”.
Dude, take your background, add 10 years and make it active duty. Operaterory jokes about murder and mayhem are lost in me. I'm not impressed. You and I have met, in uniform. I just wanted to explore the idea of this gun for GP in QP but I guess you're too kool for skool to talk about. Fuck it. Guess that is how RD is.
Look, I’m here under my own name with the intention for everyone to see. There is no mystery as to who I am, nor my purpose in this thread. If you are going to make yourself known then do so plainly. My personal perspective on war and peace clearly differs from yours and while I would love to open a dialogue to explore the darker shadows of our humanity, I would assert that perhaps that occur elsewhere so that we don’t switch track this tread.
Moving on from that I hold no attempt to impress upon you (and anyone else wondering) anything other than the ideas this rifle was borne of a marital intent. There seem to be a fair amount of misconceptions about the LPR being a gamer gun, and perhaps I misread you, so forgive me for pressing the point that this rifles concept is drawn from the collective experience of multiple SOF snipers who have amassed 100+ years of experience. This is not mean to trump nor endanger the relevance of your experience or anyone else but it certainly supersedes the capacity of what any individual can amass, myself included.
Now of those individuals that comprise the greater part of the Ridgeline think tank (other than Alex) I believe I am the only one that bothers with the trouble of conserving here on the hide. So if I can answer technical questions or clarify/correct conceptual intentions of the LPR, I will do so.
No. It's 2024. You don't do that unless you're more invested in industry than you are your job. Unless, that is your job.
Then just leave it at that. Your LPR customers aren't conducting "Recce" or canoeing heads. You don't have to talk about murder. Stay mature and professional. The people that buy a small- batch, parts assembled gun in a limited release list are more than likely shooting competition. Or LARPing. The idea that murder is conducted by a 16" semi-auto 223 is very E6. Flechettes that melt dozens of humans do it everyday and combined arms warfare is the next generation of skill. I'm still a fan of individual operator proficiency but I'm just not the guy to be impressed by the Team Room Design stickers anymore. If your technical answer is no, it's not designed for competition, cool. Could've been that simple. You can see how it's an easy assumption to make seeing as how you talk about QP a lot and RDs motto is very similar to QP. Gasgunfastgun vs shootfastshootfar. Seems similar, right?
And…THERE is the internet I’ve come to hate. Thanks @JR1200W3 for not disappointing me on what should be an innocuous product info thread.
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